Crossdressing and Identity

Fashion is a form of non-verbal communication, expressing various aspects of an individual’s life and character. If it is true that ‘clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society,’ (Twain, 1927, pg6) then a woman can make herself a man through fashion. Society constructs an image of what is masculine or feminine and, although those who choose to cross genders may believe themselves to be individual and out of the mould of what is considered the norm, they are more often than not subconsciously following society’s ideal of femininity versus masculinity by using society’s definition of this as a basis for their individuality. However, society’s expectations may also portray a message much more than indicated by the individual. Cross-dressing in entertainment has shown what is entailed to dress as another gender and sets expectations for society. This can be seen in the James Franco cover of the transgendered magazine ‘Candy’ and the Lady Gaga cross-dressing performance at the VMAs.

Society has stereotyped the male figure as masculine and powerful through the formation of fashion, allowing women to use these characteristics to portray a stronger image. Masculinity in fashion is usually associated with the suit, broad shoulders, monochromatic colour schemes based on the traditional male attire. Women cross-dressing are associated as strong and independent because they are ‘wearing the pants’. ‘ Cropped hair, menswear suits, thin flanks-these are not only the signature characteristics of ‘cross-dressed’ entertainment figures like Annie Lennox or K.D Lang or Madonna, but also the high-style looks of the mainstream fashion magazines since the sixties’ (Garber, 1992). The female to male cross-dressing has bee...

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